Worth the Wait
by A Whisper Of Grace
Summary: After finally rescuing Henry, Emma and Hook are finally free to act on their feelings for each other. Sequel to Believe but can be read by itself. First half fluff, second half smut.


**AN: This follows on from my other one shot, Believe. If you haven't read it, all you really need to know is that Hook helped Emma to save Henry by making her believe she could fly.**

Casting his eyes over the group of people on his deck, Killian felt his heart warm. Although he still had his doubts about a few people - namely the crocodile and Regina - they had at least proven their worth over the past few weeks.

Actually, there wasn't a person on this ship that they could have done without. Snow and David made just about as good a team as himself and Emma, he thought with a smile. And he didn't need to remind himself just how highly he thought of her.

And Henry. He'd only met the boy once before they'd set out to find him, and he'd never spoken to him. But Killian's determination to get him back had all but matched anyone else's by the end. The longer things had gone on, the more Killian had wanted a sense of family, had wanted _this_ family. As the desperation and fear had grown in Emma's eyes day by day, his pain for her had grown stronger.

There was no trace of that in her eyes now. While he couldn't keep his eyes off her for too long, her eyes were all for Henry. With a rushed excitement that he'd been told was all too normal for the boy, Henry told them of every moment since Tamara and Greg Mendell had grabbed him. It was well into the night before he reached the days events. 'So, what's your story?' he asked finally, his enthusiasm cut short by a yawn.

'Our story is for tomorrow,' Regina said firmly. There was no sternness to her, though, a small smile playing around her lips.

'Aw, man!' Eyes wide, the boy turned to Emma. 'Emma, _please _let me stay up!'

Emma laughed, and Killian smiled. It had been so long. 'Not a chance, kid. I don't think the rest of us will be far behind you anyway.'

As the others made comments of sleep, Killian turned and made his way back up to the helm. Although he felt weary to his bones, he was still too alert for sleep. They'd sailed far enough away from land for safety and dropped anchor for the night, giving them all some much needed rest before having to figure out how to get home.

Home. Where was home, now? He'd been born in the Enchanted Forest but hadn't had a home but a ship since he was too young to have many memories of anything. Suddenly that didn't quite feel like enough anymore. Maybe home was family? He knew that after all this time he needed one, but could they need him?

These thoughts had been in his mind since not long after they'd arrived in Neverland. In truth, his attraction to Emma had begun long before that, his curiosity piqued since she'd dared to almost leave him for the ogres. He couldn't hold it against her, nor the event with the giant, especially since seeing the love that drove her, for her son. Everything she did was for Henry.

He was _almost_ sure that she returned his feelings. He had expected nothing different than the single mindedness she'd given their hunt. Finding Henry had been the only thing, and he wouldn't have considered trying to pressure her otherwise. That hadn't stop him from flirting outrageously, of course, despite her eye rolling and denials, and eventually he'd worn her down. She didn't flirt back, not obviously, but she'd stopped rebuffing him so much, even gifting him with a few rare smiles. Those smiled turned out to be like a drug to him, teasing her constantly and filling every other sentence with innuendo in the hope that she'd laugh.

Footsteps announced someone approaching. Turning his back on the view of the ocean, he was pleasantly surprised to see the object of his thoughts before him. There was a little smile on her face, and the worry lines on her forehead and around her eyes had vanished. He'd begun to worry that they'd never disappear. She walked slowly towards where he stood and rested her arms on the edge of the ship. 'Not tired either?' she asked, cocking her head slightly.

'Not at all,' he replied, twisting so that he was facing her while she stared out at the water. 'Emma...' He swallowed, feeling almost... nervous? How ridiculous, but it was true. 'You were bloody brilliant out there today,' he settled with.

She just looked at him for a very long time. Killian wished more than anything that he could know what was going through her head. Finally she turned to face him properly, but as she must have twisted the wrong way for she grabbed at her shoulder. 'Dammit,' she muttered.

Killian stepped forward instantly, reaching out for her. They still hadn't felt comfortable letting Rumplestiltskin or Regina heal her, and after the day's events she was lucky to not have anything broken. 'You should be resting,' he said softly, brushing her hair out of her eyes. 'Here.' He took her hand and pulled her back to the main deck. He guided her to sit with her legs straddling a bench and lowered himself behind her, positioning her between his legs.

'What are you doing?' she demanded, but her voice only a little blunt.

'Wishing I had two hands,' was all the response that he chose to gave her, trying not to grin. Pushing her hair over her shoulders so that it wasn't in his way, he began to massage between her shoulder blades with his good hand. She was tense beneath his fingers, and he thrilled at the idea of her coming loose under his touch. 'Relax, darling,' he purred in her ear.

She didn't relax immediately. 'You don't have to do this,' she told him.

'I know,' he said simply.

Eventually she did begin to relax, and he let his hand roam over her shoulders, her neck, her back. He let his mind wander, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, taking in the sound and smell of the world around him. The creak of the wood and the rush of the waves, a soft sigh here and there. He realised that he'd shifted closer to her so that the insides of his thighs touched the outside of hers, but she hadn't moved away. Slowly, he stopped rubbing at her muscles and ran his hand softly down her back, letting it drift around her side. Sliding his hooked arm around her waist, he took a chance and pressed his lips lightly against her neck. She relaxed back into his arms, her back flush against his chest, as he wrapped his other am across her chest.

This was enough for him, he realised, pressing his cheek against hers and taking a deep breath.

'Thank you,' she said quietly.

'What for, love?'

She laughed softly. 'What for? None of this could have been possible without you, Hook. You got us here to Neverland. Without your knowledge of this place we all would have been dead on our first day!' She held her breath for a moment before covering his hand with her own. 'Without you, that bite would have killed me. There'd be no fairy dust and no healing, and... Hook, you helped me to fly! I could never have done that without you.'

She was truly marvellous, and had proved it doubly when she had shot up into the air like she'd been born to it. 'All you needed was some belief in yourself.'

'No,' she said. 'I needed _you_ to believe in _me._'

He pressed his lips to her neck again chastely, then smirked against her skin. 'Perhaps you should do a little work on your landing though, darling.'

She laughed, surprising him. 'I'll try my best,' she said dryly.

Silence fell between them again, a comfortable silence. Was it really this easy? She felt perfect in his arms, cheek to cheek, the two of them staring out across the water. They'd both been so focused on the task at hand that they'd put their feelings on hold. Well no, that wasn't quite true, not for Killian at least. He'd been very aware of his feelings, but had put a restraint on his actions.

'I don't remember the last time things felt so... peaceful,' she said softly, and he agreed with her wholeheartedly. He lost count of the minutes as they just sat there, enjoying each other. Finally she shifted and turned slightly to look at him. 'You know that I can't apologise for waiting,' she said hesitantly.

He returned her slight frown with one of his own. 'I wouldn't expect you to, and I certainly don't expect you to explain yourself to me. Do you think I don't understand?'

'That's not it at all!' She pulled away further, and he felt the loss of her warmth in his arms immediately. She swivelled so that she still straddled the bench but was now facing him and took his hand with both of hers, squeezing tightly. 'I know you understand and that's part of the point! Ever since I _felt_ this, since I knew that it was more than just attraction, I knew I had to push it aside for Henry but I had a list -'

'A list?' he interrupted her, fighting the urge to smile. She was so emphatic and it was marvellous. 'About me?' He knew that she was being serious but he couldn't help himself, he felt pleased. He grinned outright. 'May I see it?'

She scowled at him. 'It's a list in my head and your attitude isn't making me feel inclined to share it with you,' she said bluntly.

He leaned in towards her. 'I don't need your list, darling,'

Her eyes flickered down to his lips. 'But...'

'Not yet.' He untangled his hand from hers and cupped her cheek. He thrilled when she turned her face into his palm. 'You can tell me another time just how dashing you think I look in -'

'Oh shut up,' she said, grabbing the front of his vest and pulling him forward, pressing her soft lips to his in a way that was not soft at all. His arms went around her immediately, pulling her closer to him, surprised by the sudden intensity he felt all throughout him. He'd waited for this for so long and found everything he needed in the way she held him just as tightly as he gripped her. He grabbed her under the knees with hook and hand and pulled her so she straddled him on top of the bench, their bodies flush against each other, then wrapped his arms around her.

Eventually the kiss broke, the two of them gasping for air. Killian kept his arms around her waist and her hands rested on his shoulders, holding herself steady.

Killian knew she had things to say, but he had something to say too. Well, a few things, but one that he didn't want to delay any longer. 'Emma, I'm not sure how you'd say this in your world, but...' He paused, feeling nervous and a little embarrassed. 'I want you to be my woman.'

She reacted exactly as he'd feared she would - she laughed. Feeling more hurt than he'd care to admit, he began to pull away, second guessing their heated moment, but she tightened her grip on his shoulders and held him firm. 'If anyone else said it like that to me I'd call him a brute or a caveman,' she told him, grinning. He eyed her cautiously, still uncertain but feeling that twinge of hope again. She cocked her head slightly. 'In my world, you could call me your girlfriend. And you would be my boyfriend.'

He stared at her, affronted. 'Boyfriend? I assure you,' he said, pulling her closer to him again and kissing her neck teasingly before continuing, 'friendship is not all I'm after, and I am _nothing_ at all like a child.'

Her fingers dug into his shoulders and he smiled in satisfaction at the way it took her a moment to reply. 'I know that,' she said eventually, her voice sounding a little strained. 'It's just what we call it.'

Still feeling a bit embarrassed by his uncertainty, he cupped her cheek with his hand, making sure she looked right at him. 'I need to make sure that we mean the same thing,' he said quietly. 'It appeared that Baelfire and that snake Tamara belonged to each other, but she was also Mendell's woman. That's not what I want.' Her face softened as she smiled gently and he continued earnestly, encouraged that she had stopped laughing at him. 'I don't want to share you with any other man but your son. I want my arms to be the only ones to hold you like this.' He pulled her closer again and trailed his tongue from the side of her neck up to playfully lick her earlobe, smirking against her skin as her thighs tightened around him and she let out a breathy sigh. 'I want to be the only man to inspire that sound from your lips.'

She grabbed his head and pulled him up to kiss her fiercely, and he knew he had her. It was a ridiculous amount of fun, balancing this teasing and heat with the true passion he felt for her, but he realised he liked it very, very much. He also liked the way she seemed to melt into his arms, like this was where she was _supposed_ to be.

Once again they kissed until they were breathless, and Emma pulled away only slightly, resting her forehead against his. 'That's what I want,' she told him. 'And more sooner rather than later, if you don't mind.'

He couldn't help himself, he laughed. Tightening his grip around her, he stood up, taking her with him. She cried out a little in surprise when he moved and then her laugh joined her own. He still couldn't get enough of that sound. 'You don't have to ask me twice, my dear,' he told her, carrying her toward his cabin.

'I hardly believe that I had to ask you at all,' she said, ducking her head so as not to hit it on his doorframe.

Killian closed his door quietly behind them, lowering her to her feet and pressing her gently between the door and his body. 'I am, as ever, a gentleman.'

* * *

Emma was sure that she'd never before felt as complete as she did right now.

Henry was back. They were all safe. Tomorrow they would start looking for a way home.

And Hook wanted her.

His arms around her felt like home, a place she'd been searching for, for a very long time. His lips felt like fire - it had been such a long time for her, and even longer since she'd been with somebody who she felt this strongly for. His need to make sure she knew exactly what he wanted from her made her smile and erased any doubts that she'd had about the true nature of his feelings for her. Their chemistry was undeniable, but she was relieved to know for sure that it was more than just attraction for him, too.

Needing more of him, Emma pushed away from the door, intending to find the bed. He turned them around and she felt the backs of her legs against something hard, and he was lifting her again, this time onto a desk. Her legs immediately went around his waist, pulling him as close as she could. She could feel his need for her pressing against her core and it only drove her own hunger. Her fingers fought with the ties on his vest, desperate to get to his skin.

'Are we in a rush, love?' Hook asked her, a smile in his voice.

'Mmm.' She finally got his vest undone and pushed it over his shoulders, bringing his shirt up over his head. 'Don't you think we've waited long enough?'

'Aye, too right, lass.' He removed her of her own shirt but then stopped, staring at her with a confused expression on his face. 'What the bloody hell is that?'

It took her a second to realise he was talking about her bra, not something abnormal about her breasts. Rolling her eyes at him and smirking, she undid it quickly and let it fall to the floor. Hook lowered his head and kissed her skin, pushing her gently backward so that her back pressed against the desk. Hook made short work of her jeans and boots and kissed his way slowly down her stomach.

'Hook,' she began but he shushed her, slipping her underwear off and settling on his knees between her legs, guiding them over his shoulders. Spreading her folds with his fingers - she jumped slightly just from that touch - he lowered his mouth onto her.

Emma felt herself somehow relax and stiffen at the same time. As his tongue flicked over the clit and his lips sucked at her, she felt two fingers enter her and curl inside of her. His stubble scratched at her skin but she couldn't find it unpleasant. All of her effort turned to quietening the moans coming from her lips - it was a long time since someone had touched her this way, and she could already feel the pressure building quickly inside of her. Her legs tightened involuntarily around his shoulders as he pressed his mouth against her harder, removing his fingers to wrap his hand around her thigh. He let out a groan and the vibration from his lips was too much, sending her over the edge.

She was still catching her breath as he kissed her way back up her body, finally getting to her lips. The intensity of his kiss didn't help at all. He turned his attentions to her neck. 'You taste even better than I imagined,' he murmured.

Groaning a little bit, she pushed him away and began to unlace his trousers. She wasn't done with him yet, but he had to go there. 'Oh, here we go. Don't make me regret this,' she warned him.

She tried to push his trousers down, but he wasn't helping her. Frowning, she looked up at him. 'What's wrong?'

He pushed her hands away and took her face in his own. 'Will you?'

'What?' she asked, confused.

Hook hesitated. 'Will you regret this?'

He looked a little comical, staring down at her with such intense worry in his eyes, his face flushed and lips slightly swollen from his assault on her, his hair mussed. When she didn't reply straight away she could almost see the openness withdrawing from his eyes and she decided she _really_ didn't like that. 'I won't regret this,' she promised him, and was relieved to see his eyes return to normal. 'Although your timing isn't great,' she added. 'I don't know how anybody could deny you after _that._'

He smirked at her. 'You just wait and see what else I've got in store for you.'

Apparently satisfied that she wasn't going to run on him, he allowed his trousers to fall and stepped out of them. Emma propped herself up on her elbows to get a good look at him, and he noticed. 'Like what you see, Swan?'

'Uhuh,' she agreed, not denying him as she grabbed his hair and pulled him back down to her, wrapping her legs around his waist once more. She kissed him with all the need she felt and felt him return in kind. He slid her forward on the desk so that her hips rested on the edge. 'I want you so badly,' he groaned, pressing himself against her.

She bucked her hips up against his, encouraging him. 'So stop waiting,' she urged, and he obliged her.

It had been a while for her since her last tryst, and she found herself gasping as he filled and stretched her, gripping onto his arms. She could feel the effort it took him to be gentle in the shaking of the arms that propped him up above her. When he filled her he pressed his forehead against hers and let out another groan. 'Gods, Emma...'

He moved slowly, carefully, just for a few times before his need got the better of him. She quickly adjusted to his size and soon was rocking her hips up against his, desperate to give as good as he was giving her. Ridiculously quickly, or so she thought, she felt herself tightening around him again and gripped onto his arms as she came again, sure her nails were leaving marks.

He pulled out of her. 'Bed,' he instructed, taking her hand and pulling her up. 'I don't want to hurt your back anymore,' he explained.

She followed him across the cabin but when he stopped to let her lie on the bed first she surprised him, pushing him back onto the mattress. 'My turn,' she said, climbing on top of him. She was slightly put out by how easily he was making her come undone and was determined to set him off the same way he had done to her. He protested weakly - again, her back - but she ignored the dull ache in her muscles and ignored his words, lowering herself onto him slowly. He moaned softly and she shifted to get comfortable, and she had to muffle a smile of delight that hopefully she'd get the reaction she wanted out of him.

Settling her hands on his chest for balance, Emma began moving slowly at first, trying to tease, but before long her own desire was getting the better of her and she picked up speed, spurred on by the noises coming from Hook, little moans and groans with every other movement. As she changed her angle slightly she heard a curse fall from his lips and his hook dug into the mattress, his good hand grasping her hip and his fingers digging into her tightly, no doubt leaving bruises. 'Hook,' she moaned.

He growled suddenly and flipped them over before she could think, pinning her body beneath his own. 'Killian,' he said, kissing her roughly and thrusting into her deeply, making her gasp. 'Say it.'

'Killian,' she whispered, the name falling from her lips as though it had done so all her life. He was hitting that spot again, so effortlessly.

His left arm held himself above her and his right hand went back to her hip, holding onto her as he pumped in and out of her quickly, causing her to shudder with every movement. When he heard her say his name he faltered for a moment before picking up pace again and the thought that she touched him with that gesture both touched and excited her. She was close again, and this time she wanted him to join her. 'Oh, Killian,' she moaned into his ear, experimenting.

Hook - Killian - moaned again and his thrusts became more frantic, more desperate, his body colliding with hers roughly and she knew she'd be sore tomorrow - more than she already was. His obvious excitement and his increased efforts quickly became too much for her and she pulled his head down to kiss him fiercely as her final orgasm took her. His hips bucked against hers and stopped, pressing into her as much as he could as he came with her.

Eventually their breathing calmed a little and he pulled away, turning onto his back before pulling her into his arms. Head resting on his shoulder, she lifted one hand to rest on his chest, rubbing softly at the dark hairs. Killian's lips pressed against her hair and she thought she could feel a smile on his lips.

They didn't need words. A few minutes passed in silence and Emma thought she might finally be able to sleep. Just as she was beginning to drift off he shifted to wrap his arm tighter around her waist. 'Was I worth the wait, love?' he asked quietly.

It was something he'd normally say to tease, and she knew that he might have intended it to come across as such, but Emma noticed the lack of mirth in his voice. She opened her eyes a fraction and caught him looking down at her. Feeling peaceful - and happy, and sated, and whole - for the first time in a long time, she smiled up at him.

'Definitely worth the wait.'

**AN: So I struggled a little with writing this, I couldn't make up my mind about whether I wanted to make it smutty or just leave it with the fluff. I haven't written smut in a while so I hope it's not too terrible. I also discovered that it's a bad idea to have OUaT on as background noise whilst writing ANYTHING as it makes it impossible to concentrate.**

**Ah well, hope you liked.**


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